Intel Core i5-9400 vs Intel Core i7-8550U

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   You may have difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i5-9400 vs Intel Core i7-8550U and understand which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, rendering, video editing, streaming, programming. Here you can find useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or various benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests such as 7zip, AIDA64, VeraCrypt, SuperPi, WPrime, Furmark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, PassMark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Gears 5, PCMark 10, UserBenchmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, 3DMark, Prime95, Handbrake, Blender, RealBench, Blender, MATLAB, Dolphin Emulator.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

Valheim
DOOM: Eternal
Overwatch
Fallout 76
Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare
Cyberpunk 2077
Watch Dogs Legion
Rainbow Six Siege
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Last Man Standing
Fortnite
Apex Legends
Red Dead Redemption 2
Grand Theft Auto V
Borderlands 3
Death Stranding
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Halo Infinite
Valorant

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-8550U or Intel Core i5-9400.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i5-9400

52%

Core i7-8550U

51%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i5-9400 is 1% better than Core i7-8550U. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-9400

53%

Core i7-8550U

52%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a small game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Metro Exodus, Horizon Zero Dawn, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Control, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Half-Life: Alyx, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Ghostrunner, Battlefield V, NBA 2K20, Monster Hunter World, Hitman 3, DOTA 2A, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, League of Legends (LOL), Forza Horizon 4.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	93.5	91.9
Valorant	106.3	104.4
Cyberpunk 2077	59.5	58.5
Apex Legends	99.9	98.1
Call of Duty Warzone	79.7	78.3
Overwatch	86.1	84.6
Red Dead Redemption 2	73.3	72.0
DOOM Eternal	53.1	52.2
Warzone	82.9	81.4
Assassin's Creed	89.3	87.7
Valheim	88.2	86.6

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers that were in the comparisons not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, 4K or FullHD. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful the processor will be in games, if you compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i5-9400

56%

Core i7-8550U

228%

To make a finishing resolution on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i7-8550U is more energy efficient than the Core i5-9400 as it consumes less power: 65W vs. 15W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to know its TDP. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

Let's say you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, video rendering or video editing, programming, machine learning, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor includes all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to reach maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to work, and all the advantages of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i5-9400	Intel Core i7-8550U
Cinbench 15 Single-core	177	167
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	987	564
Cinbench 20 Single-core	403	354
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2284	1211
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1051	979
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	5606	3111

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i5-9400	Intel Core i7-8550U
Single-Core	2474	2072
Multi-Core	9515	5970

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i5-9400	Intel Core i7-8550U
Single-Core	1107	1027
Multi-Core	5420	3788

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i5-9400	Intel Core i7-8550U
Announcement date	January 01, 2019	April 01, 2017
Type	Desktop	Laptop
Socket	FCLGA1151-2	FC-BGA1356
Core name	Coffee Lake	Kaby Lake R
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	9	8
Turbo Frequency	4.1 MHz	4 MHz
Frequency	2.9 MHz	1.8 MHz
Cores	6	4
Threads	6	8
Bus rate	8 GT/s	4 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	3600 millions	1820 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	15 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2400, LPDDR3-2133
Max. Memory	128 Gb	32 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	41.6 GB/s	37.5 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	9 MB	8 MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i5-9400 is 37% better than Core i7-8550U in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i5-9400 has 2 more core than Core i7-8550U. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-9400 is better: 31
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-8550U is better: 2
However, it should be understood that the summary data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i5-9400 and Intel Core i7-8550U before making a choice which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i5-9400 specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-8550U specs and review.

Intel Core i5-9400 Processor Comparisons
• Vs Core i5-9400F
• Vs Core i7-7700K
• Vs Core i5-1135G7
• Vs Core i7-8750H
• Vs Core i7-1165G7
• Vs Core i5-9600K
• Vs Core i7-9750H
• Vs Ryzen 5 4500U
• Vs Ryzen 3 3100
• Vs Ryzen 5 1600
• Vs Core i5-10400
• Vs Core i5-10400F
• Vs Core i7-10750H
• Vs Core i7-8700
• Vs Ryzen 5 2600
• Vs Ryzen 5 3500X
• Vs Core i7-9700
• Vs Ryzen 5 PRO 2600
• Vs Ryzen 7 4700U
• Vs Core i7-8700K
• Vs Ryzen 5 2600X
• Vs Core i7-9700K
• Vs Ryzen 7 1700
• Vs Core i5-10600K
• Vs Ryzen 5 4600H
• Vs Ryzen 7 2700
• Vs Core i7-10875H
• Vs Core i7-10700F
• Vs Core i7-10700
• Vs Ryzen 7 2700X
• Vs Ryzen 5 3400G
• Vs Core i5-8400
• Vs Core i7-6700K
• Vs Core i7-1065G7
• Vs Core i3-10100
• Vs Core i5-10300H
• Vs Ryzen 5 2400G
• Vs Core i7-7700
• Vs Core i7-4790K
• Vs Core i7-6700
• Vs Core i5-1035G1
• Vs Core i5-9300H
• Vs Core i5-8300H
• Vs Ryzen 3 3200G
• Vs Ryzen 5 3500U
• Vs Core i7-4790
• Vs Core i7-4770K
• Vs Core i7-10510U
• Vs Core i7-4770
• Vs Core i7-7700HQ
• Vs Core i3-9100F
• Vs Core i5-10210U
• Vs Core i7-6700HQ
• Vs Core i7-3770
• Vs Core i5-8265U
• Vs Core i5-8250U
• Vs FX-8350 Eight-Core
• Vs Core i5-6500
• Vs Core i5-7400
• Vs Core i7-8565U
• Vs Core i7-3770K
• Vs Ryzen 5 3550H
• Vs Ryzen 3 3300X
• Vs Core i5-1145G7
• Vs Ryzen 3 4300GE
• Vs Core i7-1160G7
• Vs Athlon Gold PRO 3150G
• Vs Core i3-10320
• Vs Core i7-9700E
• Vs Core i3-10100F
• Vs Ryzen 5 3350G
• Vs Ryzen 5 3450U
• Vs Ryzen 3 PRO 4200GE
• Vs Core i5-10200H
• Vs Core i5-10600
• Vs Core i3-10300T
• Vs Athlon Gold PRO 3150GE
• Vs Core i3-9350K
• Vs Core i5-10500
• Vs Core i7-10700T
• Vs Core i5-9300HF
• Vs Ryzen 5 4600U
• Vs Ryzen 5 3550U
• Vs Core i5-10600T
• Vs Core i3-10325
• Vs Core i3-10305
• Vs Core i3-10305T
• Vs Core i3-10105T
• Vs Core i3-10105
• Vs Core i3-10105F
• Vs Core i5-1145GRE
• Vs Core i5-1145G7E
• Vs Core i5-1140G7
• Vs Core i5-1130G7
• Vs Core i7-1185GRE
• Vs Core i7-1185G7E
• Vs Core i7-11375H
• Vs Core i7-1185G7
• Vs Core i7-11370H
• Vs Core i7-1180G7
• Vs Core i3-1125G4
• Vs Ryzen 3 5400U
• Vs Ryzen 3 5300U
• Vs Ryzen 3 4300G
• Vs Ryzen 3 PRO 4350GE
• Vs Ryzen 3 PRO 4350G
• Vs Core i5-8260U
• Vs Ryzen 5 PRO 4500U
• Vs Core i5-10500T
• Vs Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U
• Vs Core i5-10400T
• Vs Ryzen 5 3350GE
• Vs Core i7-1195G7
• Vs Core i3-11100B
• Vs Core i7-1068NG7
• Vs Ryzen 5 PRO 3350GE
• Vs Ryzen 5 PRO 3350G
• Vs Xeon E-2234
• Vs Ryzen 5 3400GE
• Vs Core i7-10810U
• Vs Ryzen 5 3580U
• Vs Core i3-10300
• Vs Core i5-1038NG7
• Vs Core i5-9500TE
• Vs Core i5-10400H
• Vs Core i5-9600T
• Vs Core i7-8569U
• Vs Core i7-10710U
• Vs Core i7-9850HL
• Vs Core i5-1035G7
• Vs Core i5-1035G4
• Vs Core i7-8809G
• Vs Core i5-8500
• Vs Core i7-9700T
• Vs Core i5-9500F
• Vs Core i7-9700TE
• Vs Core i5-9500
• Vs Core i5-9600
• Vs Core i5-8600T
• Vs Core i7-8559U
• Vs Core i5-8500B
• Vs Core i5-8600
• Vs Core i7-8850H
• Vs Core i9-8950HK
• Vs Core i5-8600K
• Vs Ryzen 5 2500X
• Vs Ryzen 3 2200G
• Vs Core i3-13100F
• Vs Ryzen 3 1200
• Vs Core i5-4690K
• Vs Ryzen 3 PRO 5350GE
• Vs Ryzen 9 7950X3D
• Vs Core i5-7500
• Vs Core i3-8100
• Vs Core i5-6600K
• Vs Ryzen 5 4500
• Vs Ryzen 5 5600GE
• Vs Ryzen 3 5300GE

Intel Core i7-8550U Processor Comparisons
• Vs Core i5-8250U
• Vs Core i7-3770
• Vs Core i7-6700HQ
• Vs Core i5-10210U
• Vs Core i7-7700HQ
• Vs Core i7-4770
• Vs Core i7-10510U
• Vs Core i7-4790
• Vs Ryzen 5 3500U
• Vs Core i5-9300H
• Vs Core i7-6700
• Vs Core i7-4790K
• Vs Ryzen 5 2400G
• Vs Core i7-1065G7
• Vs Core i7-6700K
• Vs Core i5-8400
• Vs Ryzen 5 3400G
• Vs Core i5-9400F
• Vs Core i7-7700K
• Vs Core i7-8750H
• Vs Core i7-1165G7
• Vs Core i5-9600K
• Vs Core i7-9750H
• Vs FX-8350 Eight-Core
• Vs Core i5-6500
• Vs Core i7-2600
• Vs Core i5-4590
• Vs Core i5-3470
• Vs Ryzen 5 4500U
• Vs Ryzen 3 3100
• Vs Core i5-1035G1
• Vs Core i5-4570
• Vs Core i5-2400
• Vs Core i5-4460
• Vs Core i5-7200U
• Vs Core i5-10300H
• Vs Core i7-7700
• Vs Core i5-1135G7
• Vs Core i5-8265U
• Vs Core i3-10100
• Vs Ryzen 3 3200G
• Vs Core i5-6200U
• Vs Core i5-8300H
• Vs FX-6300 Six-Core
• Vs Core i5-7400
• Vs Core i7-4770K
• Vs Core i5-7300HQ
• Vs Core i5-6300U
• Vs Core i3-9100F
• Vs Core i7-7500U
• Vs Core i5-3570K
• Vs Core i5-6400
• Vs Core i7-3630QM
• Vs Core i7-8565U
• Vs Core i3-1005G1
• Vs Core i7-3770K
• Vs Ryzen 5 3550H
• Vs Pentium Gold 7505
• Vs Athlon Gold PRO 3150G
• Vs Pentium Gold G6500
• Vs Core i3-10100F
• Vs Core i3-9100TE
• Vs Ryzen 5 3450U
• Vs Athlon Silver 3050e
• Vs Core i3-1115G4
• Vs Core i3-10300T
• Vs Athlon Gold PRO 3150GE
• Vs Core i3-9350K
• Vs Ryzen Embedded R1305G
• Vs Core i5-9300HF
• Vs Ryzen 5 3550U
• Vs Pentium Gold G6605
• Vs Pentium Gold G6505T
• Vs Pentium Gold G6505
• Vs Pentium Gold G6405U
• Vs Pentium Gold G6405T
• Vs Pentium Gold G6405
• Vs Core i3-1110G4
• Vs Core i3-1115GRE
• Vs Core i3-1115G4E
• Vs Core i3-1120G4
• Vs Athlon Silver 3050GE
• Vs Athlon 300GE
• Vs Athlon 320GE
• Vs Ryzen 3 3250C
• Vs Ryzen 5 3500C
• Vs Ryzen 7 3700C
• Vs Ryzen 3 3350U
• Vs Athlon PRO 200U
• Vs Athlon PRO 300U
• Vs Core i5-1030NG7
• Vs Core i3-10100T
• Vs Core i5-8260U
• Vs Core i5-4470S
• Vs Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE
• Vs Pentium Silver N6005
• Vs Athlon Gold 3150U
• Vs Core i7-10610U
• Vs Pentium Gold G7400
• Vs Pentium Gold G7400E
• Vs Pentium Gold G7400TE
• Vs Pentium Gold G7400T
• Vs Core i7-10510Y
• Vs Core i5-10310U
• Vs Core i5-7442EQ
• Vs Core i7-8565UC
• Vs Core i3-1000NG4
• Vs Core i7-1060NG7
• Vs Core i5-10210Y
• Vs Core i7-8665UE
• Vs Core i5-8265UC
• Vs Core i5-8365UE
• Vs Core i3-9100T
• Vs Core i7-7820EQ
• Vs Core i3-8300
• Vs Core i5-6442EQ
• Vs Core i3-9100
• Vs Core i7-8665U
• Vs Core i5-8365U
• Vs Core i3-9300T
• Vs Core i3-8100B
• Vs Core i7-5850EQ
• Vs Core i5-4670R
• Vs Core i3-8100T
• Vs Core i3-8300T
• Vs Core i3-7350K
• Vs Core i3-8350K
• Vs Ryzen 3 3250U
• Vs Core i5-8350U
• Vs Core i7-8650U
• Vs Celeron N5105
• Vs Core i9-9880H
• Vs Ryzen 7 3750H
• Vs Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2
• Vs Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3
• Vs Qualcomm Snapdragon 850